I do not hold with banditing races and I never have. A bandit in a race is any person that runs the course and makes use of the race support but has not paid for the right to be there. Jon over at the complete running network wrote about how he no longer holds with banditing a race:
When they were these mysterious, unseen runners, it never made a difference. But now, seeing their faces, and them running between the real racers, it made me mad. […] They didn’t pay their money like I did, and now they are spoiling my race. […] It’s theft, plain and simple.
Actually, to my mind, banditing a race is not plain and simple.
Not only is it theft, but it is not safe, either. Races have entrance caps because that is the most number of people that a race can support. Volunteers and race directors only scrape together enough supplies for the number of people that they expect to have to support. Non-profits often sponsor races in an effort to raise capital for their charitable work, which is not helped by people who skip paying the fee. Bandits have not signed any sort of liability waiver, and as ridiculous as it sounds the race directors would probably be found liable if the bandit did something stupid like run into a car or trip over a curb.
When I was in college, one of my professors insisted that we all get a subscription to the Christian Science Monitor. After the Boston marathon, they had a huge spread in the paper about the race (it is published in Boston) which consisted of a few sentences mentioning the winners and the rest of the entire page glorifying bandits in the race. I immediately canceled my subscription and sent the editors a nasty letter, which I assume that they didn’t print. I’ve never once looked in that newspaper again, so I’m not sure.
This past weekend was the Maine Marathon. I had a friend that was hoping that I would come down and help pace him through his half marathon, and while cooling down after my 5k from the day before another friend had suggested that I kill two birds with one stone by getting my long run in during the marathon. I would not be near the start or finish, so chances are pretty good that I would not actually bother anybody while I was running. I could carry my own water, so I could skip on the water stations and not make use of support that I didn’t pay for. I could not do it though. It was too much like banditing the race. Instead, I just ran around my house.
If somebody is out for a run and a race that they were unaware of happens by while they are out, then I am not going to be overly worried. Nor will I worry about deer that try banditing the race other than to make sure that I am not bowled over by it.
I know that some races cost too much money. I know that some people feel that they deserve to run in a race despite not meeting a qualifying standard. But I also know that if I can not afford or a race then I’ll skip it or find a cheaper one. I know that if I have not qualified for a race then I will just wait until I have. There are plenty of cheap alternatives to almost any race that you can think of, especially if you are willing to travel a little.
Never bandit a race. It is not fair to the race organizers. It is not fair to the volunteers. It is not fair to the sponsors. It is not fair to the other athletes. It may not be fair to the roads/trails/town infrastructure that the race takes place in. It is just something that you should always avoid, and never feel bad about calling somebody out on it.
Thanks for the thoughts, as I am in a really similar position. If the race wasn’t full, I probably would be running the whole thing. But alas it is, so I am just there for support. Although, I do have to say that I did pay for Chicago last year and didn’t get to run it because of injury – does that make it okay? 😉
Many races will allow you to defer your registration for a year if you can not make it the year you paid; you often have to pay again but it can act as a guarenteed entry. Chances are at this point that it is too late, but you could email the race directors and ask if they mind if you pace some of the middle miles. Most of the time they probably will not mind at all, and you can then jump in with a clear conscience.
I do have to note that getting permission to be on the course does not mean that you are banditing.
It doesn’t bother me if people don’t finish a race, or who pull off if they aren’t happy with their time, as long as they are actually a part of the race.
I personally do not have any problem with somebody riding a bike to support a runner, or somebody that waits on the sidelines with a bottle of water that they hand off to the runner, as long as that person does not interfere at all with the race.
Basically, I consider anybody on a bicycle during a race the same way that I consider anybody in a car during a race: they are either pacing the race to show the route, or they are just going along their own merry way and need to wait for the racers to go by.
If somebody is riding their bike along a race course, though, they should carry their own water and food and should not be mooching off of the official race support stations.
THere might have been as leasr two bandits in the Half Marathon on Sunday who finished about 90a & 90b
I have photos of them on my web site and I have not been able to ID them as I do not see any bib numbers and/or chip on their feet. That is not to say they to not pay a fee as they just might not wanted their times to be knowm. I have know some tunners not to cross the finish line because they were perhaps not happy with their time. aaathe caes of not crossing the finish line is their right to drop out of the race but they should be listed as DNF. At any point I have photos of most of the people that finish behind me so at least I can see how I compare to the field of runners behind me. Many times I get photos of family members who have been standing on the sidelines and in the excitemnet of the day the jump into the race to run the final leg of the race with their relations. This should not be done and in some races (i.e. Track/Field) the runners they are trying to support would be DQ The rules for road racinf must be different as I saw a few runners seem to have their own race support mounted in bicyles pacing the runners.
Wow! I didn’t even know this was a problem. If I ever decide to bandit a race, do I need to wear a mask 😉 Just kidding. I can’t imagine banditing a race. The entry fees just aren’t that big a deal.
I can’t see what the distinction is between an unregistered biker and an unregistered runner who is pacing an entrant. If anything, the unregistered pacing runner takes up less space on the course than the biker. As long as the race isn’t already filled to capacity, and as long as the pacer isn’t mooching off the water stops, I don’t see anything particularly unethical about this form of banditry, in fact, it provides a service to the race organizer by assisting a race participant. Note that official pacers in marathons are not registered entrants( although they are serving in an official capacity). If everyone brought a bandit as a pacer, there could be an overabundance of runners, but this is unlikely.
I am planning on bandit-ing an upcoming marathon. I would certainly pay if I had the money – gladly – but I don’t.
Maybe I’m a thief. But at least I’m an honest, responsible one.
Awhile ago I got arrested for ‘stealing rides on trains’ – they called it Theft Of Services. Looked to me like that train was going somewhere whether or not I was on it.
On the other hand I recently registered the car I just bought and paid all my taxes on it – I think I was the only person in the title office who hadn’t happened to come by their car as a ‘gift.’
I know bandit-ing is stealing. The same way waiters steal when they take tips under the table. The same way you steal from someone by paying them an unfair wage. The same way, if there’s going to be a middle class, there has to be a lower one.
Evidently some theft is ok in this world, but other theft isn’t.
I’m going to live my life by looking at my actions and asking, honestly, who they hurt, who they help, and, in the end, how the world will be different for my having been here. To me, that’s being responsible – imagining my actions, multiplied 7-billion-fold. That’s why I paid my taxes. That’s why I would pay for this run if I could. That’s why I wouldn’t be doing it if I thought it was going to hurt anyone.
But to me it looks like that course is going to be there whether I run it or not.
I don’t think I could ever bandit a race. I do not see the point anyway. If I want to try myself at a course, I can run it on my own anytime… right?
i promise, i will never bandit some huge race like the boston marathon, you are right, it isn’t safe. but i am very sorry, when the city i live in allows streets to close, inconveniencing the entire community and using my tax dollars to benefit the corporation active.com, and there is not a cap on the number of participants (because the race doesn’t generate enough intereste) i will happily run it free of charge. the streets are still “open” to pedestrians and cyclists (they’ve only closed the road to non-local vehicular traffic), it’s my right to use the street. when the race organizers come to their senses and stop contracting out the organizing to a huge for-profit corporation and brings their entry fees down from $50 to $150 per person to a more reasonable $10 (for the smaller events, of course), then i’ll pay up. besides, i don’t need a goodie bag, t-shirt, and automatic addition to every stupid mailing list under the sun (since your entry information is sold)
Agreed anonymous. The cost of races these days has gone through the roof. $28 for a 5k? Seriously? Keep your t-shirt, keep your goody bag, keep your awards. I’ll even time myself. Let’s keep it simple.
I’m banditing a race tomorrow. I will also be donating $10 to the race at the finish. Not the $28 they require, but then again, I’m not taking anything they’re offering. I just happened to be going for a run at the right place…
When my husband was running for the Boston Marathon last year, Couple of our friends were running as bandits for the last couple of miles with him. This was to show their support and kept him going. He said it really helped. I think I rather see people running as bandits than seeing them sitting at the sideline eating burgers and drinking beers.
It seems those of you with strong feelings against banditing a race have a one-sided view. Yes, it’s true they didn’t pay the fees, but what are they really “stealing” or “taking away” from you? Why does that bother you? Would you get made if they ran the course any other day? Are you just mad that you paid and they didn’t? Is this a moral issue? A financial issue?
How do you feel about those people that work so hard during training, pay their fees, and suffer an injury, and cannot get a refund, nor can they transfer their registration information to a friend? Would you say the race organizers are “stealing”?
My point is, there are multiple ways to look at a situation, and before you step up on your soap box and point your finger saying you’re right and they’re wrong, know the world is much bigger than just what you personally see and feel. It’s not just about you. Lighten up and stop casting judgement on others. There is a beautiful life to live, and you should concern yourself with more important things.
(Please note, I did NOT say I have or have not bandited a race, and I did not express my opinion on bandits. Don’t interpret what I said as such.)
I agree. Especially, if they later brag about it in RUNNERS WORLD! (Elizabeth Hasselhoff) However in a race that isn’t a big deal (Not BOSTON) and you dont start at the same time, you don’t use their water, snacks, etc.: ITS a public easement. They can’t keep runners off. Sorry but in the case of Boston and NYC, they should be arrested.
The name of this website explains everything wrong with this article.
I have ran cross country since I was 12 and quit racing in college because of how elitist, competitive and exclusive this “sport” has become.
I haven’t raced for 8 years but noticed I my love for running has grown exponentially since. I do run marathons frequently alone, with just a debit card and phone to buy water along the way. Recently I’ve grown interested in running an official marathon but when registering saw it would cost 150$. I cannot afford this in my budget. My friend told me to bandit run it and I thought “great!” After reading this article though, I now want to vomit out of disgust for the people who think if you can’t afford $150 for someone to block traffic then you are not welcome to participate in this intrinsically communal activity which shouldn’t not exclude anyone. I haven’t felt this way since college.
I hope you enjoy your $150 “free swag bags” with “green” materials which are made out of plastic and shirts by slaved children who can’t afford to be in your race either. All of which will probably be thrown away by nightfall.
I agree with the previous post in regards to reasonable pricing/ getting rid of the commercial machine behind racing.
hopefully you’ll realize someday running isn’t all about “winning”
The last time I checked, my taxes pay for the upkeep of the roads. So long as I don’t take their water, food, swag – I’m not stealing anything. Our local marathon literally overlaps the same course I run 4 times a week. Because someone else is paying to run through MY neighborhood does not mean I am going to stop.
I’ve been a runner for many years. I ran in jr high, high school, college and as a mom age 35. I’ve never ran as a bandit till today. I registered my 12 year old in a 10K. I ran beside her as a bandit to support her. It was really fun. I started with the crowd and moved aside at the end. I did eat the food since my daughter was registered anyway and they allowed all the registered and their family (unregistered to eat as well). It will do it again if ever I am running a race to support someone. My 12yr old ran a 45:37 by the way!:D I’ve paid for all of my races (which are many) up to this point and I have no problem with bandit runners who just simply can’t afford to run in a race any other way however, I don’t think they should eat the food and drink the sponsors water or run through their finish-line. I also think It would be cool to give a donation of what you can afford when you are finished:D
“Bandits” who take race amenities like water, snacks and shirts at the end of a race is a problem. Running down a PUBLIC street which is free to run down 365 days a year, whether hundreds of people paid a fee to run down it as well, is a coincidence which is not truly the “bandits” issue.
Except in the cases where that runner gets hurt, sues the race, and that runner hasn’t signed a waiver and it puts the race out of the business and/or causes that type of race to no longer be covered under the acceptable races for the insurance policy that they used. Which has happened.
I always run bandit. The normal entry cost is usually the cost of a pair of new shoes. Way too expensive.
Besides, it’s a recession and health care cost are skyrocketing so why not do the government a favor and stay healthy with a run.
Or you could, I don’t know, run cheaper races or on your own with some other friends rather than stealing services and putting a race at risk. I did some math and realized that the 5 races I registered for in the first half of this year all added up to less than the cost of the Boston Marathon, so it’s not like every race is unreasonably expensive.
I’m not sure how I feel about banditing. I’ve only been running ~2 years and run about 10 official races. Bandits don’t bother me per se. But I don’t like angering others. The guy who runs this website and his uber strong opinions and poor reasoning makes me want to become a banditing advocate. He says you’re “stealing” but if you’re not taking anything, you can’t be stealing by definition. No one owns the road and if your polite and consensuses of official runners (re: not a dick) I see no problem. And as far as lawsuits and waivers are concerned, I don’t even know where to start… You’re a moron if you think you can’t sue just because of a waiver. And its the court’s fault I’d they unjustly award someone for their own negligence. I came here debating whether or not to bandit the race my wife is running for support, you just convinced me to bandit it with your smugness, thanks for removing any doubt.
I’m glad that you enjoyed my article, it’s nice to see that it still has traction almost 7 years after I wrote it. I’m not too concerned with debating name calling, but I will respond to one comment that you have made:
I never claimed that somebody can’t sue because they have a waiver, and it doesn’t matter if it’s the court’s fault or not. I can only share information that I’ve gotten in my training as a state representative of the Road Runner’s Club of America, the organization that provides insurance to a high percentage of the road and trail races in the United States.
The problem isn’t that I’m a moron and that the courts are making unjust decisions. The problems are that if the insurance company is losing money on policies that they are making, they either stop issuing those policies or they raise the prices. If a race can’t get or can’t afford insurance, then the race director would be the moron for putting the race on because if somebody sued the race director and they didn’t have insurance to protect their assets, then the race director would potentially lose their house and everything they own.
A waiver won’t necessarily prevent somebody from sueing, but it can make a difference in damages, it can prevent a court from making an “unjust” decision, and it will help the insurance companies that we work with from raising their prices.
In the past couple of years, the RRCA has had to drop whole categories of races because they were too expensive to insure and would have required the insurance cost for all races to be go up. If you’d like to know more about how the insurance program works, click here to visit the RRCA’s website where all the details are provided.
Personally, I think anyone that has such a huge problem with bandits needs to get off their high horse. I plan to run as a bandit in a race tomorrow. I will not be stealing anything as I will not be utilizing the water stops and most definitely won’t be looking for a finisher’s medal or finish line snacks. I also won’t be looking for any help from an aid station should I be injured and I have a very deep hatred for anyone who sues for ridiculous things so the race and its organizers are at no risk there. Why am I running as a bandit instead of as a paid competitor? Because I want to. I live less than 2 miles from the start of the race and have a lot of friends that are running the race. I’m faster than 99% of the field and will not be in anyone’s way. If that means I get pulled off the course because I’ll stick out like a sore thumb, so be it. No harm, no foul and I’ll call it a day at whatever number of miles I’ve completed. I don’t really care much for judgemental people and anyone that has such strong negative opinions of runners that bandit a race fall right into that category.
So it is not okay for me to be judgmental about sharing my opinion about people who put a race’s viability in the future at risk, but is is okay for you to be judgmental about my opinion? 🙂
I find your “very deep hatred for anyone who sues for ridiculous things” commendable and I share that opinion. But, your belief that that makes it so that “the race and its organizers are at no risk” is false, no matter what your opinion is. We do live in a litigious society where people do sue for stupid things where they are the ones that were at fault. Even if you do come in a hard spot a few years down the road and do resist the urge to scrape some money together in any way possible, can you say that if you were somehow killed or severely incapacitated on the course that your family would also avoid seeking legal action? Can you guarantee that there won’t be enough bandits at the race for the permitting authorities to notice and deny future permits because the race didn’t follow the terms of their permit? Can you guarantee that you won’t get in the way of somebody that paid for the race and negatively impact that experience?
You may not care. But that doesn’t mean that I won’t think that it’s rude or that you would be better off volunteering, which is just as rewarding an activity as running the race and would certainly be more appreciated by the community.
I’m not sure of your running history so I can’t speak to your experiences and/or how you’ve come about your strong opinions on the subject. What I do know about is my own history in the sport. I know that I’ve competed at a very high level for years… That I ran cross country and track for a Division I program in college… And that after a long break afterwards, that I came back to the sport and found a new love for it on a completely different level. In recent years, I’ve run for a running store team and have also given back to the running community by volunteering at more races than I can count. I’ve worked a finish line, taken pictures, set up and torn down courses… I’ve even paced a couple of races (running with a balloon on a stick was easier than I expected).
I also learned the hard way that my 38 year old body does not hold up like it used to and while I have a recent half marathon PR of 1:18:07, I’ve also found it very difficult to train for and compete in half marathons without injury. To date, I’ve trained for and signed up for 4 half marathons. Of those, I’ve been injured 3 times… Once while training where I had to back out of the race ($75 wasted), once while training where I ran the race anyway and needed micro-fracture surgery on my knee afterwards, one successful injury-free one and the most recent was last year’s race where I strained my calf at mile 11 and had to DNF(another $80 wasted).
Not counting these races, I’ve run 13 miles or more on many occasions. It’s not until I am pushing the pace and trying to be competitive that I end up injured. Unlike many runners, I don’t sign up for races just to finish. There’s no satisfaction for me there. In fact, if my name is going to be in the results, I want to make sure I’m giving it my all. After last year’s injury and DNF, I swore that I would never run a half marathon again. That said, I love the experience of running a race with so much crowd support. You don’t find that in 5k races which are my current race of choice. So I decided to run the race this past weekend. This is the same race that I needed knee surgery after the first time and had the calf strain in last year. But this time, I went into it just wanting to run to enjoy it. As promised, I didn’t take a single drop of water or utilize any of the course amenities. Had I had an injury, I would have limped myself back on home and called it a learning experience. Instead, I learned that I unknowingly paced a random stranger for 3/4ths of the race. He waited for me after the race and thanked me for helping to push through the wind and hills. As a result, he finished with a time that was at the upper end of his goal range (1:26) and I got a good workout in and felt great for having found a way to enjoy running a half marathon.
So here we are. I’m the thief (of nothing) and course hazard (hardly). When race organizers schedule their support, they do so with a built-in margin of error. The organizers of this race are not at risk of having their event cancelled because I was on the course. I helped a fellow runner and enjoyed the entire experience as a whole. Will I ever do it again? Maybe, maybe not. I’m not looking to get into the habit of jumping into races without paying for them. I’d rather give than receive. You’re free to judge me all you like for it (doesn’t mean I have to like it so yes, I’m entitled to have an opinion on your being judgmental). If you lived and raced nearby, I may very well have been the guy that helped pace you or handed you a water during other races.
Hi Chris,
First, be aware that I wrote this article almost 7 years ago, and at that time the major reasons I had a problem with bandits were from an ethical standpoint. If you read responses I’ve made in the comments, you’ll see that my position remains unchanged but my reasons for it are much more serious now that I am more educated on the matter. (I really should rewrite the article. It is one of the most popular ones on my site.)
For my history, I’m also a competitive runner, especially at the time I wrote this, often placing in the top 10% of a field (my proudest race being my first marathon win 5 or 6 years ago.) Since writing this, I’ve gotten into running more trail, mountain and ultra races and personally enjoy the more laid-back atmosphere. I’ve also been directing races for quite a few years now, being responsible for between 15 and 20 races per year as well as volunteering at most of the races the multiple running clubs I belong to put on.
One of the races that I direct is very popular, and the town imposed an 800 person cap on us a few years ago. Last year we had a lot of problems with bandits due to having had to cancel the race the year before (3 times!) due to weather and not everybody being able to get into the race, and you may not think you are causing any harm but we did nearly lose our permit this year because of all the extra bodies that the town told us we couldn’t have out on the course. Luckily they gave us an extra year to get away from that craziness caused by canceling 2 years ago and we managed not to exceed our capacity this year. And all of that is with a very good relationship with the town! The only sticking point was with the extra bodies and cars out on the course.
For the past 3 years, I’ve been a volunteer state representative for the Road Runners Club of America, the organization that provides the most comprehensive and cost effective insurance to races in the Unites States, and who has managed to avoid raising the cost for that insurance for (I think) 6 years now. The problem, however, is that they can’t insure as many categories of races because of the problems some races raise, and in the examples that are given to us each year as to why certain races are dropped I can only think of one example that did not involve a bandit.
I just got home this week from the RRCA National Convention, where sessions about insurance are offered every year, and topics such as safety (especially in the wake of the bombings) and trends in racing were also offered. In all 3 of those sessions, the importance of proper waivers were stressed (and there are now precedents where a waiver did provide protection as it laid out the specific dangers of running that race.)
I am not a fan of the rising prices of races. We got to see a very humorous graph about the largest marathons in the country and how much they cost over the past 5 years, and MCM showed the least growth, while Boston, Disney, Chicago and one or two others only went up by 3 times the rate of inflation, and New York City basically looked like a logarithmic progression (it now costs more than THREE times as much as I paid when I ran it 7 or 8 years ago!)
Fortunately, there’s a backlash against these high prices in many areas, with reasonably priced races that still put on high quality events becoming more popular. For example, I signed up for 4 races between March and June this year that total over 200 miles of racing (a 6 hour, 50 mile, 50k and 100 miler) at the distances I signed up for (but that had options as low as 3.5 miles and 10k) for $10 less than it would have cost at the cheapest I could have gotten into Boston.
There are alternatives, and I just personally don’t understand the fascination with bucking authority by running in events that somebody doesn’t agree with their cause or the price tag or the speed with which it sold out (not claiming you are any of those, but if you read the comments above you’ll find quite a few people like that.)
If somebody wants to watch a football game or baseball game, they aren’t allowed into the stadium without a ticket. If somebody wants to drive a race car, they certainly aren’t allowed onto the track at the Daytona 500 without having raced in qualifying races. Do you think that people should be? If so, I disagree with you and am curious how you would justify that. If not, then why is running a race any different?
By the way, I forgot to mention: it obviously doesn’t apply to a mid-packer in a local race, but the kind of assistance that you applied is against the rules according to the governing body of our sport, USATF, and would have led to that runner’s disqualification in a championship situation.
Whether you agree with that rule or not, it is there. I personally have a lot of issues with the way that USATF operates, but I still tend to abide by their rules when I race because I give myself the moral obligation not to break the rules. Hopefully I can get back into shape where I can start going to money races again where those types of rules do become relevant!